One of the charitable objectives of COVERSE is:
“Advance health, by: Providing people who have been adversely affected by COVID 19 vaccines with a national platform that helps them find local resources and support services.” (COVERSE Constitution, Section 6, point 1).
In line with this charitable objective, we have become increasingly concerned about the strain that ongoing illness, difficulty accessing medical help and compensation, financial burden, and social isolation has been placing on members of our community. In trying to think of how we can assist, we realised we needed to seek the help of professionals to provide the expert level of support that we saw that our community needs. Quest for Life is one of Australia’s leading providers in this area, working for over 35 years providing retreats and support groups for the often misunderstood and forgotten people in our society: the chronically ill, traumatised, carers and bereaved.
Our aim in developing a connection with Quest for Life is to provide a way for those who have received an adverse reaction to their COVID-19 vaccination with an avenue to receive expert, compassionate assistance to help them navigate the difficult transitions they are making – managing extremely drawn-out recoveries, diagnosed and undiagnosed long-term conditions, and permanent disability. Just as importantly, we see that through the Quest for Life programs, people are offered strategies and teaching to help them develop a renewed sense of purpose by helping people rediscover meaning, resilience, and hope within the reality of the lives they now lead.
As a requirement of attending the first program run by Quest for Life for COVERSE, participants were asked to fill in pre and post evaluation forms to assist with getting an understanding of whether this was going to be a support avenue that we would pursue through additional fundraising and grant applications.
The evaluation results demonstrate the breadth that exists within our COVID-19 vaccine-injured community as a whole. We are joined together as a community not because we have a commonality of interests, ambitions, career, family… but because we are all affected by the same life altering event – a severe adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccinations. Like we see with all treatments, therapies and protocols that are offered to us, the results we received from the evaluations shows that participation in a Quest for Life program is not going to be the right thing for everyone as part of their healing journey, but for those that it is, being involved in Quest for Life is something that offers real potential for helping to deal with day to day life and finding a pathway for moving forward with a renewed sense of meaning.
To summarise some of our data:
- People came to Quest for Life in the hope to build skills and strategies to better manage key relationships; friendships and social connectedness; isolation; grief and anger.
- People felt that the program helped them to create networks; deal with shame, grief, loss, anxiety and gave them a place to escape from isolation. They felt that it gave them practical tips and helped with learning skills about thought management; meditation and seeking peace.
- Participants most enjoyed the chance to get some respite; be looked after and cared for; being pampered and made to feel special. The community connectedness was noted by many. It helped some to dare to dream again.
- A few people who attended would have preferred the program to have been more specifically focused on practical strategies for managing the ongoing symptoms of their adverse reaction and would have preferred to attend a program that was less focused or not focused on dealing with the broader issues of how to rebuild your internal life.
- Many people expressed their appreciation for the way Quest for Life pivoted their usual programming to give participants a more focused opportunity to apply the teaching to some of the specific issues that have been faced by our community. Some people would have liked to have more of that specific content and focus.
- The majority felt that the content was relevant and easy to understand – even with cognitive struggles. They thought it was therapeutic to be in a space where everyone had experienced a severe adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccinations, which enabled people to talk without having to self-censor and in the safety of having the trauma of our stories carefully managed so as not to further traumatise.
- People loved the amount of support that was provided by staff and the support dog, Alice; the comfortable chairs and beds; and the freshly prepared food.
- Given the diversity of views, not everyone who attended would recommend this to others. But the majority said that they would (and many already had) recommend the program. Many also said that there was much valuable information; that the program was of tremendous value for acceptance and healing; ‘just someone wanting to help me made it worthwhile’, and; the community was invaluable.
All participants completed a Standardised Wellbeing Index Questionnaire. In comparing the results between pre and post program attendance, there is a mean measurable increase in Wellbeing in all areas from involvement in the program, with the most significant increases being in the areas of personal relationships, community and future security.
We are incredibly grateful to Quest for Life for opening this door of opportunity for our community and for donating this initial program.
We are also grateful to those who provided donations of sponsorship to assist people in attending the program.
If you would like to find out more about Quest for Life and the programs they offer, you can see their website. Every Monday night at 7:30pm (Sydney time) Petrea King runs a meditation session that is open to anyone. There is also a weekly Wednesday 11:00-11:30am and monthly Sunday 2-3pm (1st Sunday of the month) teaching and meditation session led by Quest for Life facilitators. You can find them through the Quest for Life Facebook page.
If you would be interested in being involved in a potential online session with Petrea King, just for COVID-19 vaccine injured people, please send in an Expression of Interest to supportgroups@coverse.org.au.
If you would like to make a specific donation towards the ongoing sponsorship of placements and programs as we continue to develop support groups for those who have had a severe adverse reaction to COVID-19 vaccination, the bereaved and our carers, you can do this here: coverse.org.au/supportgroups.